Deck 12: Shaping the Earths Surface: Landscapes, the Hydrologic Cycle, and Mass Wasting

Question 1

Well-rounded sand has a smaller ___________ than irregularly shaped gravel.

A)cohesion
B)angle of repose
C)mineral stability
D)cross-sectional area

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following increases the risk of mass movement?

A)adding a small amount of moisture to loose, dry sediment
B)waves breaking before they reach sea cliffs
C)flooding the sediment with water to the point of saturation
D)reducing the grade of the slope

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Some landslides include a mixture of loose sediment and very weathered rock called

A)bedrock.
B)regolith.
C)solifluction
D)substratum.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following types of mass movement often travels as a coherent mass down a curved surface?

A)slump
B)creep
C)rock slide
D)mudflow

Question 5

If all else is equal, a slope dipping ____________ degrees made of ____________ sand would be the most stable situation.

A)30; saturated
B)30; damp
C)30; dry
D)28; saturated

Question 6

Geologists distinguish among different types of mass wasting based on factors such as the ____________ of the moving material and the rate of movement.

A)weight
B)color
C)composition
D)name

Question 7

You are a geologist trying to determine if the slope on which your client's house sits is stable. You determine that the angle of repose of the hillside is 35 degrees. You could consider the slope stable if it is composed of

A)saturated sand.
B)dry sand.
C)saturated gravel.
D)dry gravel.

Question 8

The principal difference between a debris flow and a mudflow is

A)the shape of the path taken by the moving mass.
B)the grain size of the moving mass.
C)that a debris flow contains abundant water, whereas a mudflow is dry.
D)that a debris flow contains pyroclastic debris from a volcanic eruption.

Question 9

What type of mass movement is an area that shows bowed out tree trunks and misaligned fences?

A)rock fall
B)mudflow
C)creep
D)debris slide

Question 10

The principal difference between a debris flow and a debris slide is

A)the shape of the path taken by the moving mass.
B)the grain size of the moving mass.
C)that a debris flow contains abundant water, whereas a debris slide is dry.
D)that a debris flow contains pyroclastic debris from a volcanic eruption.

Question 11

Which of the following types of mass movement takes place most gradually?

A)slump
B)creep
C)rock slide
D)mudflow

Question 12

Slumps typically arrive ____________ at the bottom of a slope.

A)vertically stacked
B)intact
C)flattened
D)jumbled

Question 13

The ___________ in the sequence of sedimentary rocks shown below may become a failure surface.

A)bedding planes
B)exfoliation joints
C)foliation planes
D)uplift planes

Question 14

Which of the following would decrease the resistance force?

A)lowering the slope angle
B)adding a small amount of water
C)chemical weathering of the slope
D)adding material to the base of the hill

Question 15

Which of the following types of mass movement is LEAST coherent (most like a fluid)?

A)slump
B)creep
C)rock slide
D)mudflow

Question 16

Moisture among sediment grains

A)always increases the likelihood of mass wasting.
B)always decreases the likelihood of mass wasting.
C)can promote stability if present in small amounts.
D)can promote stability if the grains are saturated.

Question 17

For dry, fine-grained sediments, the angle of repose is typically between ___________ and ___________ degrees.

A)10; 17
B)15; 22
C)20; 27
D)30; 45

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an example of a landform?

A)mountain
B)valley
C)water
D)swamp

Question 19

The image below shows a cut bank along a river that was formed by a

A)lahar.
B)rock fall.
C)slump.
D)debris slide.

Question 20

What type of mass movement would you expect to form in a steep-walled canyon?

A)avalanche
B)rock fall
C)slump
D)lahar

Question 21

Which of the following situations may lead to slope failure?

A)the addition of a small amount of water to a slope
B)installing a chain-link fence over a slope
C)undercutting a slope by a bulldozer
D)regrading a steep slope to create a gentler slope

Question 22

Landforms built by an accumulation of sediment are called ______________ landforms.

A)erosional
B)depositional
C)mechanical
D)eradication

Question 23

The difference in elevation in an area is called

A)erosion.
B)deposition.
C)relief.
D)landform

Question 24

What process created the terrace that forms the cliff in the picture below?

A)subsidence
B)deposition
C)uplift
D)relief

Question 25

Mountain ranges are the result of

A)relief.
B)topography.
C)subsidence
D)uplift.

Question 26

Which of the following factors decreases the risk of mass movement?

A)nearby earthquakes
B)excavation into the base of a hill
C)adding weight to the top of a hill
D)adding vegetation to the side of a hill

Question 27

Weathering is a failure trigger because it ____________ of the material.

A)decreases the cohesion
B)increases the friction
C)decreases the weight
D)takes vegetation off

Question 28

Which of the following landforms would be the result of subsidence?

A)mountain range
B)wave-cut terrace
C)butte
D)basin

Question 29

Which of the following mountains is MOST likely to experience lahars?

A)Mount Everest
B)Mount St. Helens
C)Mount Denali (Mount McKinley)
D)The Matterhorn

Question 30

Unstable slopes start to move when the ____________ force exceeds the ____________ force that holds the material in place.

A)downslope; gravity
B)resistance; downslope
C)downslope; resistance
D)gravity; resistance

Question 31

Which area would be most likely to host a slope failure?

A)the coast of Florida
B)a desert in central California
C)a desert in Arizona
D)the coast of southern California

Question 32

Which of the following figures depicts a mass wasting event that occurs relatively slowly?

A)a
B)b
C)c
D)d

Question 33

Why does adding a small amount of water to a substance increase its cohesion but adding a lot of water decrease its cohesion?

A)A small amount of water decreases surface tension, allowing the grains to bond together, whereas too much water will increase surface tension and force the grains away from each other.
B)A small amount of water increases surface tension and holds the grains together. Too much water between the grains will eliminate surface tension.
C)Water has a small electrostatic force that disrupts the gravitational attraction of the grains and forces them to move away from each other.
D)A small amount of water will precipitate cement into the pores of the material, whereas too much water will not allow that cement to form.

Question 34

Which of the following situations is the most likely candidate for the occurrence of mass movements?

A)a flat, desert area with little vegetation
B)a gentle slope along the coastline that is across a highway from the surf zone
C)gently sloping hills in the tropics
D)a mountain terrain in a humid environment

Question 35

Uplift and subsidence are both ultimately the result of

A)gravitational resistance.
B)convectional heating.
C)external energy.
D)plate tectonics.

Question 36

What type of energy drives plate motion?

A)external
B)internal
C)gravitational
D)radiative

Question 37

Why do some life activities strengthen the substrate and others weaken it?

A)Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, whereas plants digest and weaken soil.
B)Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around, whereas plant roots wedge soil apart.
C)Plant roots help anchor soil, whereas burrowing animals can weaken it.
D)Some organisms secrete a binding agent in the soil, whereas plants digest and weaken soil.

Question 38

As ____________ occurs, intact rock is broken down into smaller, weaker pieces called sediment.

A)an avalanche
B)cohesion
C)solifluction
D)weathering

Question 39

Which energy sources are responsible for the destruction in the image below?

A)internal and external
B)gravitational and internal
C)gravitational and external
D)convective and internal

Question 40

Currents and wind are created by the interaction of ____________ and ____________ energy.

A)internal; external
B)internal; gravitational
C)gravitational; external
D)convective; gravitational

Question 41

After finishing a new construction project, why is the first task often to install new landscaping around the area?

A)The plants will provide nutrients for animals that will carry away the soil.
B)The roots will grow into the slope and work to keep the slope intact.
C) The plants will add additional weight to the slope and keep it stable.
D) The roots take in oxygen and release it into the soil to increase surface tension.

Question 42

The image below is an artist's rendition of John Wesley Powell exploring the Grand Canyon. Is this landform depositional or erosional? Explain your answer.

Question 43

How can water play a role in slope stability and slope failure?

Question 44

All of the following are evidence of a recent mass wasting event EXCEPT

A)cobble-filled streams.
B)bowed trees.
C)head scarps.
D)piles of loose debris.

Question 45

What is the most effective means of mitigating the risk of a slope failure for the slope shown in the image below?

A)apply shotcrete
B)revegetate with new plants
C)install riprap
D)dewater the slope

Question 46

What type(s) of energy control(s) erosion? Explain your answer.

Question 47

You can use a landslide hazard map to help buy a piece of property by using it to determine if

A)there are large rivers running by the property.
B)the property is in a high-risk zone for landslides.
C)the property is near a high-risk flood zone.
D)the property has been exposed to fires recently.

Question 48

The hydrologic cycle can best be described as the

A)movement of water through the ground to form aquifers.
B)cycle that water passes through when going from solid to liquid to gas.
C)circular motion caused by density differences created when water boils.
D)movement of Earth's water through a series of reservoirs.

Question 49

Imagine you have just bought some property and notice that the trees on the slope have curved trunks. What type of landslide event do you likely have on your property?

A)liquefaction
B)creep
C)slump
D)mudflow

Question 50

What is the resistance force and how is it derived? What happens when the resistance force exceeds the downslope force? What happens when the downslope force exceeds the resistance force?

Question 51

Which of the following is often a sign of mass movement?

A)a crack in the ground surface
B)water leaking out of a hillside
C)new vegetation growth
D)flat sloping ground

Question 52

What is uplift and what is an outcome of uplift? What type of energy drives uplift?

Question 53

How does water get from the atmosphere into the groundwater system?

A)Precipitation falls into rivers and then flows downriver into the groundwater system.
B)Precipitation falls on the ground and infiltrates the ground surface to the groundwater system.
C)Water from the ocean is sucked up into the groundwater system because of a pressure difference.
D)Plants secrete water into the groundwater system in a process called evapotranspiration.

Question 54

Which of the following consist(s) of large boulders placed at the base of slopes?

A)rock dams
B)rock sheds
C)riprap
D)retaining walls

Question 55

Examine the photograph below. What type of mass wasting event is beginning to take place here? How can you tell?

Question 56

Describe the similarities and differences between a debris flow and a debris slide.

Question 57

Pick two ways of mitigating landslide hazards and describe how they work and what issues they may have.

Question 58

What is a landform and how is it linked to the landscape?

Question 59

Construction workers often cut benches or terraces, such as those seen in the image below, along the sides of roads to help mitigate landslides. This is because terraces

A)provide flat areas where large trees and shrubs can be planted.
B)mitigate slope failure by removing weight from the hillside.
C)force cars to be farther from steep slopes that might fail.
D)allow flat areas where houses can be built and not add weight.

Question 60

Starting with a drop of water in the ocean, describe a full cycle of movement of the water drop through the hydrologic cycle (the water must end up back in the ocean). Through what reservoirs does that water move? What physical forms does the water take (e.g., liquid, solid, gas)?